Games Like Age of War: Ageforge and the Lane Battle Genre
Looking for a game like Age of War? Ageforge is a free, online 1v1 take on the lane battler: 15 units, 4 ages and real opponents, in your browser.
By the Ageforge teamUpdated 3 min read
Key takeaways
- A lane battler is a strategy game where two bases face each other across one lane and each side trains units that walk and fight on their own.
- The genre was made popular by browser Flash games such as Age of War, where you advance through ages from the Stone Age to the future.
- Ageforge is an original lane battler built for online 1v1 against real players, not a computer opponent.
- It adds a counter triangle, a passive ability on every unit, keep towers, a per-age ultimate and overtime at 7:00.
- It is free, runs in any modern browser including phones, and has nothing to buy.
What is a lane battle game?
A lane battle game (sometimes called lane defense or a side-scrolling strategy game) puts two bases at opposite ends of a single path. Each side spends resources to train units, the units march toward each other and fight automatically, and the first base to fall loses. There's no map to scout and no units to micro-manage. The whole game is about what you build and when.
The genre sits between tower defense and real-time strategy. Like tower defense, you don't steer your army. Like an RTS, you're facing an opponent who is making the same kind of decisions you are.
Age of War and the ages formula
Age of War, one of the best-known Flash-era browser games, popularized a twist on the formula: instead of one set of units for the whole match, you advance through history. You start with cavemen, and every age swaps in stronger units and a stronger base, all the way to futuristic soldiers. Racing to the next age while holding off the enemy is the core tension.
Ageforge is an original game that builds on that idea. Its units, art and names are its own.
What Ageforge does differently
| Classic lane battler | Ageforge | |
|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Computer AI | Real players, 1v1 online |
| Ages | Several | 4: Stone, Medieval, Gunpowder, Future |
| How you advance | Experience from kills | XP from kills, never gold |
| Units | A few per age | 15 total, each with a passive ability |
| Counters | Mostly stats | Frontline > Ranged > Fast > Frontline, plus Splash |
| Ending a stalemate | Varies | Overtime at 7:00 |
| Platform | Flash (desktop) | Any modern browser, including phones |
Real opponents
Ageforge is built for two humans. The match runs on a server 30 times a second, and both players see the same fight. Play Quick match to be paired with someone, or create a private room and send a friend the link.
A counter system you can read
Every unit belongs to a type, and the types beat each other in a loop. Reading what your opponent is building and answering it is the main skill. See Ageforge counters explained.
Every match ends
Evenly matched lane battles can stall in the middle of the lane forever. In Ageforge, overtime starts at 7:00 and drains both keeps faster every second, so every match has a winner. See overtime explained.
FAQ
- Is there an online multiplayer game like Age of War?
- Yes. Ageforge is a free lane battler with ages, played 1v1 online against real players in a web browser.
- Is Ageforge the same as Age of War?
- No. Ageforge is an original game in the same genre. Its units, art, names and rules are its own, and it is built for online play against other people.
- Can I play a lane battle game on my phone?
- Yes. Ageforge runs in a phone browser in landscape, with no app to install.
Put it into practice
Free, in your browser, no download. Quick match or send a friend a private room link.
Play free
